"A Worn Path" ~by Eudora Welty

(#6)
The question "Is the grandson really dead?" can be prompted by small details in the story. When Phoenix first enters the building, the attendant is confused about who she is and why she is there. Then, the nurse comes in and says, "Oh, that's just old Aunt Phoenix. She doesn't come for herself - she has a little grandson. She makes these trips just as regular as clockwork" (page 229). Phoenix seems to forget the reason she made the journey for a short period of time; she temporarily forgets her grandson. The nurse wonders what has happened to the boy and why he is still sick. Throughout the story, we get the impression that Phoenix makes this trip often and has been doing so for a long time. Another detail to support the theory that the grandson is dead can be found in the nurse's comment to Phoenix, "Throat never heals does it? Yes. Swallowed lye. When was is? - January - two, three years ago - ?" (page 229). We do not know for sure whether or not the grandson is dead, but there is plenty of evidence to support the suspicion. Welty responds to the question, "My best answer would be: Phoenix is alive." This remark could be seen as an answer meaning that it does not matter in the story whether or not the grandson is living of dead. The story is about Phoenix. While the grandson is an important part of the story, his state does not affect the meaning of the story either way. Therefore, the question is irrelevant because it does not matter in the story; this is what the author means in their response.